THE FUTURE IS AT OUR DOORSTEP: THE GROWTH OF MICRO-MOBILITY

Abstract

Starting from my current work experience in the Sales & Network development department of the car manufacturer XEV, the paper will focus on the great development prospects of the micro-mobility market within urban centers. In recent years, the automotive context has proved extremely unstable and subject to enormous changes: lack of raw materials, low production capacity, increase in transport costs, frequent price increases, are all elements that have contributed to creating great perplexity and insecurities about the future of the automotive market. In addition to these factors, contiguous events such as the increase in electricity costs, the persistent problems related to the disposal and pollution caused by the batteries of electric cars, have also led to great skepticism within the electric cars market, increasingly seen as a temporary transition to new mobility systems. In this turbulent context, many entrepreneurs have started to look for new innovative products, finding huge opportunities in the new sector of micro-mobility, also called "last mile mobility" in which electric vehicles have shown great advantages and versatility. In addition to these elements, with the Covid-19 pandemic, the needs and habits of many users have changed significantly, leading to the growth and development of new integrated mobility systems. Scooters, E-bikes, motorcycles, and quadricycles recorded record numbers in terms of sales and registrations, bringing out a + 157.8% compared to the first six months of 2022. In a market where the average use of cars per user is 35 km per day and mainly in urban areas, the flagship product of XEV, YOYO, has shown great potential and success, embodying in all aspects what the real urban mobility represents. A heavy quadricycle, that can be driven from 16 years of age, characterized by an innovative battery swapping system, perfect for moving around congested urban centers with maximum agility, have led XEV, in just two years from its entry into the market, to forge important partnerships, such as the agreement with ENI for the replacement of the Enjoy car sharing cars with an important fleet of XEV YOYO. With the advent of this "micro" revolution, governments and cities will also have to equip themselves, promoting the development and growth of these new mobility means, through policies that aim at regulating and making urban centers and pedestrian areas safer. In fact, micro-mobility could bring important benefits to society with a reduction in emissions of over 80% by 2050 and an improvement in traffic within urban centers, which will allow public entities to save between $28 and $34 billion by 2030. The main objective of this paper will therefore be to better focus the enormous potential of the micro mobility market with the aim of creating a real integrated mobility circuit, starting from a scooter, passing through the e-bike and finally arriving to the electric quadricycle, with a focus on the XEV YOYO product and the distribution strategy adopted in the EMEA market. What will be the real future of mobility is certainly difficult to say, but I strongly believe that micro-mobility is here to stay.